World in Focus

December 5, 2012 9:12 PM

Photo: Mehdi Fedouach/AFP/Getty Images

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Thai monks light a lantern and release it to the night sky during celebrations to pay respect to Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej on his 85th birthday December 5, 2012 in Bangkok, Thailand. King Bhumibol took the throne in 1946, making him the world's longest reigning monarch and the world's longest serving head of state. Yellow represents Monday, the birthday of the King. less

Thai monks light a lantern and release it to the night sky during celebrations to pay respect to Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej on his 85th birthday December 5, 2012 in Bangkok, Thailand. King Bhumibol took ... more

Photo: Paula Bronstein, Getty Images

Thai monks light a lantern and release it to the night sky during... Photo-3851454.53465 - SFGate

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This NASA image from a composite assembled from data acquired by the Suomi NPP satellite in April and October 2012 shows the United States at night The image was made possible by the new satellite's “day-night band” of the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS), which detects light in a range of wavelengths from green to near-infrared and uses filtering techniques to observe dim signals such as city lights, gas flares, auroras, wildfires, and reflected moonlight. less

This NASA image from a composite assembled from data acquired by the Suomi NPP satellite in April and October 2012 shows the United States at night The image was made possible by the new satellite's ... more

A Hindu holy man offers prayers by the Saryu River on the eve of the anniversary of the Babri mosque demolition in Ayodhya, India, Wednesday, Dec.5, 2012. In 1992, tens of thousands of Hindu extremists ripped apart the 16th century Babri mosque at Ayodhya in northern India as security forces watched. Hindus say it is the birthplace of their god Rama and contend a temple to him stood on the site before the mosque. less

A Hindu holy man offers prayers by the Saryu River on the eve of the anniversary of the Babri mosque demolition in Ayodhya, India, Wednesday, Dec.5, 2012. In 1992, tens of thousands of Hindu extremists ripped ... more

Photo: Rajesh Kumar Singh, Associated Press

A Hindu holy man offers prayers by the Saryu River on the eve of... Photo-3851462.53465 - SFGate

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A Christmas tree at Berlin's Sony Center is pictured on December 5, 2012.

A Christmas tree at Berlin's Sony Center is pictured on December 5, 2012.

Egyptian policemen protect an opposition demonstrater after a scuffle with members of the Muslim Brotherhood and supporters of Egypt's Islamist President Mohamed Morsi during clashes outside the presidential palace in Cairo on December 5, 2012. Supporters of Egypt's Islamist President Mohamed Morsi tore down tents and forced opposition protesters to flee the presidential palace on Wednesday, as his deputy said a vote on a disputed constitution would go ahead in 10 days. less

Egyptian policemen protect an opposition demonstrater after a scuffle with members of the Muslim Brotherhood and supporters of Egypt's Islamist President Mohamed Morsi during clashes outside the presidential ... more

Indian rescue workers attempt to control a major fire that erupted along the Indian Oil Corporation's Crude Oil Pipeline from Salaya to Mathura, at the level of the Rutadal village, some 90 kms from Ahmedabad, late on December 4, 2012. Three persons were injured due to the fire and were later shifted to a hospital in Ahmedabad. Investigations are under way to determine the exact cause of the fire. less

Indian rescue workers attempt to control a major fire that erupted along the Indian Oil Corporation's Crude Oil Pipeline from Salaya to Mathura, at the level of the Rutadal village, some 90 kms from Ahmedabad, ... more

Photo: Sam Panthaky, AFP/Getty Images

Indian rescue workers attempt to control a major fire that erupted... Photo-3848979.53465 - SFGate

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A man jogs past red carpets covered with beans and a cross that are part of a protest against the number of homicides nationwide on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2012. The Brazilian non-governmental organization, Rio de Paz, spread half a million black and white beans over red carpets and a national flag on the beach to protest the number of murders in Brazil over the past few years. less

A man jogs past red carpets covered with beans and a cross that are part of a protest against the number of homicides nationwide on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2012. The ... more

Congolese M23 rebel president Jean Marie Runiga poses for a portrait at his hideout near the Congo-Uganda border town of Bunagana Wednesday Dec. 5 2012. Speaking to the Associated Press, Runiga said they would not accept for the Kinshasa government to pay the M23 expenses at the scheduled Kampala talks later this week, as the two are still in a belligerent state. M23 rebels completed their withdrawal from the strategic eastern city of Goma on Saturday, in compliance with an agreement reached between the rebel group and a regional body, they could still be seen in positions three kilometers from Goma airport. less

Congolese M23 rebel president Jean Marie Runiga poses for a portrait at his hideout near the Congo-Uganda border town of Bunagana Wednesday Dec. 5 2012. Speaking to the Associated Press, Runiga said they would ... more

A woman walks during a blizzard in Stockholm, Sweden on December 5, 2012.

A woman walks during a blizzard in Stockholm, Sweden on December 5, 2012.

Photo: Jonathan Nackstrand, AFP/Getty Images

A woman walks during a blizzard in Stockholm, Sweden on December 5,... Photo-3851456.53465 - SFGate

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A couple walk under an umbrella during a heavy snowfall in Pristina on December 5, 2012.

A couple walk under an umbrella during a heavy snowfall in Pristina on December 5, 2012.

Photo: Armend Nimani, AFP/Getty Images

A couple walk under an umbrella during a heavy snowfall in Pristina... Photo-3851455.53465 - SFGate

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A monkey is silhouetted against the setting sun as it sits on stone slabs earmarked at Karsevak Puram workshop for the construction of a Hindu Temple in Ayodhya on December 5, 2012, on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the demolition of the Babri Masjid. India risked being torn apart by sectarian conflict 20 years ago when Hindu zealots demolished a mosque, triggering deadly riots, but analysts say economic growth has proved a quiet balm on tensions. less

A monkey is silhouetted against the setting sun as it sits on stone slabs earmarked at Karsevak Puram workshop for the construction of a Hindu Temple in Ayodhya on December 5, 2012, on the eve of the 20th ... more

Photo: Sanjay Kanojia, AFP/Getty Images

A monkey is silhouetted against the setting sun as it sits on stone... Photo-3851453.53465 - SFGate

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Denmark's Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt loses a shoe while getting off her car prior to meeting with her French counterpart at the Elysee Palace in Paris on December 5, 2012.

Denmark's Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt loses a shoe while getting off her car prior to meeting with her French counterpart at the Elysee Palace in Paris on December 5, 2012.